Due to reports of mass sexual assault during New Year's Eve celebrations in and around the German capital in previous years, the festivities this year will include a "safe area" for women escaping harassment, as proposed by German police.

The area, named 'Women's Safety Area' and situated in a German Red Cross Tent, will be a space in which women who feel unsafe can seek refuge, and women who have undergone harassment can report the incident there and then. A number of specifically-trained personnel will be present.

The proposal is part of a bid to improve security measures during the festivities, as alcohol of any sort will also be banned in attempt to keep people safe. According to the event's website, a whole host of other objects will not be allowed, such as large bags and sharp objects.

Germany had, in previous years, experienced what has often been described as 'coordinated' sexual attacks against women in public places during New Years Eve celebrations. Most notable was an incident of mass sexual harassment in Cologne in 2015 which led to 1,200 criminal charges. A number of cases of sexual assault and theft against women were also reported around the same time in a number of German cities including Hamburg and Frankfurt.